VDOT News - Salem

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has been plowing and treating roads throughout the day in response to the most recent winter storm that covered roads with freezing rain, sleet and snow. 

This afternoon and tonight, drivers can expect interstates and primary roads to be mostly clear with isolated slick spots. Motorists on these main routes should still watch out for icy spots caused by refreeze tonight and tomorrow morning.

Equipment operators have been focusing today on secondary roads and neighborhood streets (those 600 and above) and have made progress. They will continue working on these routes this evening and overnight. 

As clean up continues in response to this storm, drivers should be alert to the following road impacts:

• Overnight refreeze causing wet and slushy roads to become icy
• Downed utility lines, trees and debris blocking roads
• Dark traffic signals due to power outages
• Heavy fog reducing visibility and possibly coating roads or trees with more ice
• Additional freezing rain passing through the region 

Motorists should use extra caution on bridges, overpasses, ramps, cooler spots and higher elevations where ice can form first.

VDOT reminds drivers to treat dark traffic signals as four-way stops.  In addition, citizens should always assume downed power lines are live and avoid them.

To report downed trees or debris in the roadway call VDOT’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) or visit online at my.vdot.virginia.gov.

The latest road condition information is available by visiting www.511Virginia.org.

The Salem District includes the counties of Bedford, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, and Roanoke.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.